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December 06, 2011

New Dickens coin now available for pre-order

On the Royal Mint website, you can purchase your own £2 Dickens coin. For £8.50 (about $13), you get a "Brilliant Uncirculated" pack, with the coin "struck to . . . a better quality of finish than coins in everyday use," which comes in "a colorful presentation folder" that includes biographical information, information about the coin, and a small reproduction of the Dickens's Dream painting.

The design of the coin is an intriguing one -- it's Dickens's head in profile, made up of the titles of all his major works. Artist Matthew Dent told CBS News, "I wanted the design of the coin to reference both the immense contribution Dickens has made to British literature and his iconic portrait."

Update: I wrote £8.50 this morning; the price is now listed at £7.08. I guess maybe it goes up and down with the price of the metals? Also, note that overseas shipping costs £10.